At seven o’clock in the evening, the night had already fallen over Tokyo, with a faint cobalt blue lingering on the edge of the sky.
In the corridor of an old apartment building, the sound-activated lights flickered on one after another with each footstep, casting a dim yet slightly chilly halo.
Although she had just finished another busy and exhausting day, Aina Saiten—dressed in a suit and carrying a briefcase—couldn’t suppress a genuine, relaxed, and joyful smile from blossoming on her face as she arrived at her familiar, deep brown security door.
It was as if the fatigue of her commute had been swept away by that smile.
Her mood was so bright, all because of the phone call she had received during the day.
During a work break that afternoon, her phone screen had suddenly flashed with an incoming call labeled “Kanchao Ganxia.”
On the other end of the line, the Toh-Dai junior with a mysterious background whom she’d met during her interview, used a sweet and confident voice to officially inform her: she had been hired by Quansheng Group as Deputy Chief Accountant.
After hanging up, Aina Saiten stood motionless in the company stairwell for a long time, needing a moment to process this immense surprise, her heart pounding wildly.
For her, this was undoubtedly earth-shattering good news—a sudden beam of sunlight piercing through a gloomy sky.
This Deputy Chief Accountant position at Quansheng didn’t just offer a salary and benefits nearly three times what she currently earned, completely relieving her financial pressure.
It also signified that her career would now ascend to a brand new, higher stage; she would become a mid-level manager in a renowned large-scale company, enjoying much broader space for development and career prospects.
For Aina Saiten, who had to budget carefully every month to pay the mortgage and support their cozy little home, this job truly was a timely and precious lifeline.
She couldn’t help but sigh inwardly—money really could stump even the bravest woman.
All those worries and powerless feelings she’d had before—income stagnation, career bottlenecks, uncertainty about the future—
Now, they had all been solved with a single offer letter. The dawn of hope had finally, tangibly, illuminated reality.
Because of this, even after a full day of work, she had returned home in high spirits, nearly skipping as she made her way back, eager to share this life-changing good news with her dearest boyfriend, Kaoru Hoshitani.
Standing at the door, she took a deep breath, as if to calm her overexcited heart, then reached into her bag for her keys.
The cool metal slid into the keyhole with a faint scraping sound. She twisted her wrist—“kada, kada”—and the lock turned open.
She pushed the door, and was greeted by the familiar, reassuring warmth of home.
The motion-sensor night light in the entryway automatically lit up, casting a warm orange glow.
The main warm light in the living room was already on as well, its gentle rays filling the small space and driving away the cold and darkness from outside the door.
The air was filled with a mouthwatering aroma—rich soy-braised dishes, the savory freshness of miso soup, and the characteristic char of grilled fish.
Within sight, on the small square table covered with a checkered tablecloth that doubled as their dining table, several dishes were neatly laid out: tender yellow tamagoyaki, emerald-green blanched spinach, enticing braised eel in sauce, and a small pot of steaming tofu miso soup.
Everything was just as she always saw it when coming home from work—warm, orderly, and full of the taste of “home.”
“Welcome back…”
Hearing the door open, Kaoru Hoshitani’s figure appeared at the kitchen entrance.
He wore an apron printed with little bears around his waist and still held a dish towel in his hand.
He looked up, doing his best to pull a smile for his girlfriend, but that smile seemed forced, the corners of his lips a little stiff, and there was a lack of the natural warmth and brightness in his eyes that usually greeted her.
Instead, a thin, unyielding mist seemed to cloud them.
Yet Aina Saiten’s attention was first drawn to what Kaoru Hoshitani was wearing.
She tilted her head, looking him up and down in surprise, her tone cheerful as she said,
“Huh? Kaoru, this outfit… I haven’t seen you wear it in so long!”
Admiration flickered in her gaze,
“You look really good in this, so fresh and clean, very refined. Why haven’t you worn it before? I remember we bought it last summer when we went shopping together, right?”
At her words, Kaoru Hoshitani’s face seemed to lose a bit of its color, and his already strained smile became even more pallid.
He glanced down at his clothes, unconsciously clenching the dish towel in his hand.
This was one of his favorites—comfortable and appropriate—and today, after Rika Kawasaki brought it back, he had put it on without thinking, needing to hurry and prepare dinner after washing his face, without having time to consider more deeply.
Now, as his girlfriend suddenly asked, he realized with a shock that he had instinctively chosen his “best” outfit today.
Was it because… because he went out with that woman during the day and subconsciously wanted to preserve a shred of pitiful dignity? Or… was it just a sad, habitual act of pleasing others?
Of course, he couldn’t tell Aina the truth.
Was he supposed to say, “Because I was taken out on a ‘date’ by another woman today, so I wore what I thought looked best”? The thought made his stomach clench.
“Ah… I just grabbed something at random…”
He mumbled evasively, his voice tight, quickly changing the subject,
“Dinner’s ready, Aina. Go wash your hands and eat, or it’ll get cold.”
Aina Saiten didn’t get a clear explanation from her boyfriend, but with her mind full of joy to share, she didn’t pursue the slight oddity.
She replied with an “Mm,” put down her briefcase, took off her jacket, and walked lightly into the kitchen to wash her hands, then deftly scooped two bowls of gleaming white rice and brought them to the table.
Sitting opposite Kaoru Hoshitani, she pressed her palms together and softly said, “Itadakimasu,” but didn’t pick up her chopsticks right away.
Instead, she looked up, her eyes sparkling with happiness as she stared at her boyfriend, her face radiating undisguised, nearly overflowing excitement.
“Kaoru!”
Her voice was light and lilting,
“I have some huge, wonderful news to tell you!”
“Good… news…”
Kaoru Hoshitani, distracted, poked at the rice in his bowl with his chopsticks and looked up when he heard her, repeating the words, but his gaze was unfocused.
He guessed quickly in his mind.
The answer was obvious—
The only thing lately that could make Aina so happy, something she’d call “huge news,” must be the final result from that new company she’d submitted her resume to and carefully prepared for interviews.
Most likely, she’d been hired.
If this had been yesterday, or even earlier today, Kaoru Hoshitani would have put down his chopsticks, jumped up in joy, rushed over to hug his girlfriend tightly, showering her with kisses, and planning a brighter future together.
But now…
Now, after he’d just learned that his girlfriend’s dream job—the one she’d worked so hard for—was at Quansheng Group, the very company owned by the family of that blonde-haired woman Rika Kawasaki, who haunted him like a nightmare, forced him, terrified and humiliated him, how could he possibly feel happy?
This news brought no joy, only the weight of a massive stone, pressing the breath from his chest and sending chills through his heart.
For now, Kaoru Hoshitani wasn’t sure whether Rika Kawasaki knew Aina Saiten was applying at Quansheng, or that she’d already been hired.
But with what he knew of that woman’s cruel nature, he had no doubt—
If Rika Kawasaki found out, she’d absolutely use it as leverage to threaten and control him.
A job meant everything to Aina, who worked so hard to support their family!
That would become the sharpest blade hanging over his head, and he might lose even the faintest chance to resist.
[Should… should I tell Aina right now not to take the job?]
A powerful thought struggled up in Kaoru Hoshitani’s chaotic mind.
He was deeply lost and conflicted.
His body had already suffered humiliation and violation, but at least… at least that woman hadn’t broken his final boundary.
There still seemed to be a chance to recover, a chance to bury this nightmare for good.
As long as he held out, made it through tomorrow, then convinced Aina—they could leave this place together, find a new home in vast Tokyo, blending into the millions.
Even with all her power, that blonde woman would have a hard time tracking them down in the crowd.
But if Aina went to work for her family’s company…
It would be handing his most vulnerable spot straight to her, within easy reach.
Their twisted, dangerous relationship would never be truly severed, and could even be used to force him further into the abyss.
Kaoru Hoshitani didn’t dare think further, a chill racing up his spine, spreading through his entire body.
“Aina…”
He couldn’t hold it back any longer, his voice dry as he made a last, feeble attempt,
“You… isn’t your current job pretty good too? At a top financial company… I think, our life now… it’s already enough, really…”
His words were weak, sounding more like a plea.
Aina Saiten paused, then understood.
She thought Kaoru was uneasy about her suddenly changing jobs, worried about uncertainty in the future.
So, she slowed her tone, patiently explaining,
“Kaoru, my current company is top-tier in the industry, it sounds impressive, but my colleagues are all incredibly capable and the competition is fierce. After a few years, I feel like I’ve hit a ceiling—there’s not much room for growth, and every day I’m doing repetitive work.”
She looked him in the eye, voice firm,
“That’s why the opportunity at Quansheng means so, so much to me. It’s not just a higher salary—it’s a platform where I can really use my abilities and grow. Do you understand?”
“So… important…”
Kaoru Hoshitani unconsciously echoed her words, each syllable pounding at his tense nerves.
His smile became more forced, even tinged with a faint, bitter sadness, the effort at the corners of his mouth looking almost pitiful.
“Yes!”
Aina Saiten didn’t notice her boyfriend’s abnormal expression, her mind completely taken up by dreams of a better future, and she continued enthusiastically,
“I’ll hand in my resignation letter to my current company first thing tomorrow! If everything goes smoothly, I can finish the handover and start at Quansheng in just a few days!”
Her excitement grew as she spoke, her eyes shining,
“Once I’m settled in my new job for a year or two, we’ll be able to save up so much more! Then, we can get a bigger, more comfortable place, preferably with a sunny balcony for you to grow your flowers! Oh, and—”
She suddenly remembered something, flexing her arm in a muscle pose, though her slender arms didn’t show much muscle at all,
“Starting tomorrow, I’ll keep up with my fitness routine! With a better financial situation, I need to take care of my health, too!”
If it had been before, hearing his girlfriend lay out such detailed and hopeful plans for their future, Kaoru Hoshitani’s gentle deer-like eyes would have lit up with sparkling anticipation, he’d have nodded earnestly and started picturing the beautiful scenes with her.
But now, sitting under the warm light, looking at his girlfriend’s excited face, Kaoru Hoshitani’s lovely eyes only held bottomless, inky sadness and despair.
The light was extinguished, leaving only cold ashes.
He thought again of tomorrow—the last day of that devilish agreement with Rika Kawasaki.
That woman had said that as long as he made it through the week without speaking out, she’d let him go.
That had become the only fragile straw he could cling to in the darkness.
He kept telling himself: just get through tomorrow and maybe everything would return to normal, the nightmare would end.
But deep down, another cold voice shrieked,
How can you be sure that shameless, untrustworthy woman will actually keep her promise?
Kaoru Hoshitani could only bitterly smile to himself. Yes, if she broke her word, what could he do? What leverage did he have?
He had no choice but to endure in despair.
His tangled pain finally crystallized into a feeble, twisted hope.
Watching his girlfriend across the table, her face still flushed with satisfaction after dinner, a thought quietly took root:
[As long as… as long as I can find comfort with Aina tonight… maybe tomorrow I’ll have the strength and resolve to keep going?]
The idea was both a self-deceptive comfort and a desperate desire to grasp at real warmth.
He raised his eyes to look at Aina Saiten, his voice softer than usual, carrying a barely perceptible tremor and plea, as he quietly said:
“Aina… let’s… let’s take a bath together…?”
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